Storage battery.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1903* A. w. CHARLTON. STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 6, 1902.

| TERS co. Pno'rouwo" wnsmnam u c Unrran STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

ATENT OFFIQE.

ALFRED W. CHARLTON, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIAL TO PETER RYAN, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

STO RAG E BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,202, dated May 19, 1903..

Application filed October 6, 1902.

To all whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. CHARLTON, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to devise a light, strong, and effective storage battery; and it consists,essentially,in forming the electrodes of perforated lead tubes rectangular in cross-section and provided with a perforated lead core having four wings engaging the tube at four points, preferably in the angles between the sides, substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail, partly broken away, showing one of the tubes of which the electrodes are composed. Fig. 3 shows in crosssection a number of forms in which the core may be made.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, A is a perforated tube, rectangular in cross-section. As in storage batteries it is important that the electrodes be comparatively thin, the tube is preferably formed in cross-section with one pair of sides considerably wider than the oth-. ers, the wide faces being those which are opposed to the neighboring electrode or electrodes. This tube is preferably formed of lead, though the use of other metal would fall within the scope of my invention. Within this tube I place a core B of some conducting material, preferably lead. The peculiarity of this core is that it is formed with four wings C, preferablyintegrally connected to form the core. These wings in my preferred construction diverge from the center and engage the tube ineach corner from end to end. The wings are preferably perforated, and where they join long slots at will be out. When a core such as described is placed in position in the tube, all the space between the core and the tube, as well as the perforations in both, will be filled with oxid of lead or the Serial No. 126,151. (No model.)

other active material of which the battery is to be composed. Several of these tubes are assembled side by side to form a single electrode, their lower ends being preferably inserted within a base D, of vulcanite or other non-conducting material. A band E, of nonconducting material, also holdstheir upper ends together. Each core B is extended up in any suitable form and connected with the strip F, which thus unites them electrically to form asingle electrode. The electrodes so formed are set up and electrically connected in the battery in any desired manner, such forming no part of my present invention. I prefer,lho wever,:in setting up the electrodes that the bases D shall be held slightly apart by the'separatorsb, formed on or connected to the bases at suitable intervals. Any sediment or deposits falling from the surfaces of the electrodes will fall into the spaces between the separators, and hence will not form a short circuit between the lower sides of the opposed electrodes.

From the construction of the tubes formin g the electrodes alreadydescribed it follows that in each tube the active material is divided into triangular prisms by the core, and the flattest of these prisms are on the faces of the tubes opposed to the tubes of the adjoining electrodes, which is an important advantage. At the same time, as the tubes are oblong incross-section, no'portion of the active material in one electrodeis so far from the active material in the opposed electrode as to increase the internal resistance of the cell over that of the ordinary plate form.

While the principle of forming the core with four wings extending to each corner of the tube is best carried out by the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, yet the sameprinciple may be carried into effect by the various other constructions illustrated in Fig. 3. Form I is that already described. In form II the wings 0 instead of meeting at the point meet in pairs at each end of a short line. In form III the wings insteadof being straight are formed with concave curves facing the long sides of the oblong. In form IV the wings are formed with concave curves facing the narrow sides of the oblong and are connected by a short line. In form V the wings are formed with concave curves facing all the sides of the oblong. This necessarily means either thatthe core is very thick at the center or that spaces 0 are formed therein which may be filled with active material. In form VI the wings do not run into the corners, but are formed as diameters of the oblong. In describing these various forms I have done so strictly referring to the shape of the cores in cross-section, and the language employed has been in accordance herewith.

The chief difficulty experienced with storage batteries when running under a heavy load is that the electrodes buckle, owing to the unequal expansion of the metal and the lead oxid or other active material employed therewith. WVith electrodes formed of rectangular tubes braced internally by a core such as described buckling is rendered impossible. It is evidently impossible for the tube to be flattened by pressure on any of its corners, as this is immediately resisted by the bracing action of the diagonal wings, nor can the tube be bent lengthwise, as the diagonal wings extending from end to end of the corners and being integrally connected together collectively hold the tube in shape.

Besides this, the flat sides of the tube make it exceedingly stiff, even without the additional strength afforded by the core. The same strength against bending is afforded when the wings are in contact with the sides of the tube, as shown in form VI of Fig. 3; but such a tube is more easily damaged by pressure along its angles.

When the tubes are filled with active material, it passes through the long slots at in the core, and thus the active material on all sides of the core is keyed together by that portion of it extending through these slots. As the material also fills the perforations in the core and in the tubes, the whole is very intimately and strongly connected, so that it is not likely to crumble or break away. Of course such a binding together of the active material and the lead of the tubes and cores causes great strains on this latter; but, as already described, their construction is such as to furnish enormous strength to resist the buckling which commonly takes place.

i In addition to possessing great stregth my battery is also lighter than batteries provided with plate electrodes now commonly em ployed, and hence will supply more current in proportion to its weight.

It will be noticed that no vulcanite or nonconductor is used in the construction of the tubes,whicl1 is an important feature in diminishing the internal resistance of the battery. Most tube-batteries have employed more or less rubber or vulcanite in their construction, which has been one reason for their failure, whereas I employ vulcanite only for insulation purposes.

It will be noticed that the ends of the tubes are left open, which gives the active material a chance to expand slightly, and thus reduce the strain on the metal. The electrodes are also thus rendered active from end to end.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated lead tube, in combination with a lead core having four wings in contact with the tube along four longitudinal lines; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

2. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated tube of conducting material, in combination with a conducting-core having four wings in contact with the tube along four longitudinal lines; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

3. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated lead tube, incombination with a lead core having four wings extending one into each angle of the tube from end to end; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

4:. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated lead tube, in combination with a lead core having four wings integrally connected and lying in contact with the tube along four longitudinal lines; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

5. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated lead tube, in combination with a lead core having four wings integrally connected and extending one into each angle of the tube from end to end; and a filling of active ma terial, substantially as described.

6. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated tube of conducting material, in combination with a conducting-core having four wings integrally connected and extending one into each angle of the tube from end to end; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

7. In a storage batter an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated tube of conducting material, in combination with a conducting-core having four perforated wings integrally connected and extending one into each angle of the tube from end to end; and a filling of active material, substantially as described.

8. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a rectangular-sectioned perforated tube of conducting material, in combination with a conducting-core having four integrallyconnected wings in contact with the tube along four longitudinal lines; longitudinal slots being cut through the core along the juncture between the wings, substantially as described.

9. In a storage battery an electrode comprising a series of oblong-sectioned perforated lead tubes secured together with their narrow sides in juxtaposition, each tube being provided with a perforated lead core having four wings extending one into each angle of ing one in to each angle of the tube from end the tube; and a filling of active material, to end; and a filling of active material, sub- 10 substantially as described. stantially as described.

10. In a storage battery an electrode com- Toronto, September 2, 1902. 5 prising an open-ended rectangular-sectioned ALFRED W. CHARLTON.

perforated tube of conducting material, in In presence ofcombination with a conducting-core having A. J. COLBOURNE, four wings integrally connected and extend- J. M. WEBSTER. 

